South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1887-06-24
THE PRAIRIE FIRE,

a few eve iings ago party of North :
western cattlcmen were grouped together
in the rotunda OF the Merchants Hotel
when one of them told this incident.
which has romance enough in it for the
foundation for a novel:
twas in 70 or 70, / don't remcm-
Der which, was in the cattle bu ,iness
in the milan Territory, below Medicine
Lodge. had shipped drove of cattle
to Kansas City, driving them from the
Territory to Wichita. Kansas, and de-
cidcd 10 continue on the main line of
the road to hutchinson, from which
place l would take horse and ride
down to the territory. The distance
fron Hutchinson to Medicine Lodge was
about ninety niles. which could bc
lea he'll by hard days ride.
By daylight the next morning /
was in the saddle and riding south. The
day had leen unusually warm and had
been riding rather slowly, with a view
of pushing on faster when it had become
cooler. A brecz, sprang up from the
south and gave my horse a tap TO urg,
him en-: but not minding the whip he
started in n d IT ,rcat direction than the
one which we had been going. He ap-
pcarcd to be uneasy, but supposed this
was caused from thirst. The sun had
gone down and the wind was increas ny.
bringing with 1t faint o Tor Of burning
grass. As it grew dark / could see a
fiickcrng of light ut a distance. but
thought nothing of it. 1t was not long.
however, before j discovered the cause
OF the horses uncai lcss. Stretching
from right to left, apparently in semi.
circle, was streak of fire, and at
once realized that ] wa in dangerous
position.
lhcrc was no way TO escape except to
turn back, and was 10th to do that. /
stood still some time undecided what 10
do IT would be foolish to think of try
ing to break through this sweeping wall
Of fire. Turning the horses head in the
direction from which VIC came let him
have the rcins. lie needed no urging
and covered the ground in fine style. /
looked back, and was dismaycd to see
that cytn rs fast as we were roinp the
nc was gaining on us. Giving the horse
sharp cut with the whip he gave
lunge forward, bue fell, throwing me
over his head. lie Lad stepped into n
prairie dogs hole and broken lep
Seeing that he could 60 no further drcw
my revolver and ended his life.
The fire was now less than mile from
me, coming before terrible wind. the
fumes lcaping high in the air. BY the
light j could sec small hill a few bua
drcd yards away, aud my only hope was
to reach that, perhaps finding shelter on
The opposite side. ! put forth my best
efforts, but before covering half the dis
lance ! could hear the roar Of tho flames
nnd icci tho heat. while the smoke was
suh eating. Making terrible effort J
Kept TO my feet for few seconds more.
aud then consciousness left me.
When ] awoko 10 was morning. and
bending over m was young woman.
Remembering what had passed through.
my first impression was that / was dead
and in-well, where We all want 20 co
some time. But ] soon found out nv
mistake, and discovered that was in
cave dug IN the side of hill. In flying
from the fire my last step bal brought
me to the doc, and, falling. had forced
1t open. The young woman was in
great distress, AMI told me that she
feared her husband had been caught In
uic prairie fire. She told INC her history
very briefly, saying that she wa, an
orphan, had been married hut sbor,
iinc, and came from the Est with her